The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-15
COAL IS SCARCE.

ern Seaboard-There VIII be no
Famine After December1 the Supply
Will be Abundant, and Every Hearth
Can Blaze Merrily.
From. the Nelo York Herald.
There is a great lack Of transportation
facilities among the various railway compa-
MES bringing coal to this city and to other
distributing points East, and many thou
sands of tons of "blaek diamonds" are await
ing shipment in consequence in the mining
regions
And from Philadelphia comes the news
that it has been decided by the Executive
Board of the employees of the Reading rail
road, nearly all of whom are Knights of
Labor. that no more cars loaded with coal
mined by non-union miners shall be handled.
This movement will sidetl'ack other thou
sands of tons Of the precious fuel now en-
route to distributing centres, and all the
while the coal dealers here and elsewhere
along the Northern Atlantic seaboard are
clamoring for enough of it to supply the de-
msnds of their customers.
VIII there be coal faminef
No; but prices to actual consumers will
probably go up, and no end of inconven-
fence will be occasioned the retailers before
the present difficulty is disposed Of
What is the difficulty.
Simply lack of cars and locomotives to
hiring the coal to market.
The present strike among the miners Of
the Lehigh Valley region has thrown vol
ume of business upon the other coal trans
portation lines which they are unable to
care for.
A MONTH TO SIX WEEKS BEHIND.
At the Pennsylvania Coal Company's of
fee in this city it was stated yesterday that
the company was from a month to six
weeks behind in filing orders. 1t was not,
it was explained because of lack of coal
at the mines. A vast quantity Of the fuel
was on the dumps, but there were INSULT
Gent facilities for bringing it to market.
There was no trouble, either, about mining
the coal. Plenty of men were ready to do
the work, and the output was up to the
usual mark If there was transportation
there would be no difficulty in supplying the
dealers of this and other Eastern cities with
all the coal they might want.
But there was the rub.
Without the means of CARRYING the coal it
made no difference how much was mined,
so far as the convenience of the dealers and
the consumers was concerned. 1t was doubt
full if the company would be able to catch
up with its orders inside of two or three
months, although orders were still taken as
presented
From information CLEANED at the Penn
sylvania and other Offices it appears that
the present lack of cars and locomotives is
due to the demand for coal at Western
points. All the coal companies, with the
exception of the Lehigh Valley, whose OPP
erations are practically at a standstiu just
at present, are using nearly everything on
wheels that they have to carry coal to
Buffalo and other lake ports before naviga-
ton closes, That, in the ordinary course Of
events, viii be in a week or two, and then
the rolling stock can be used for the accom-
mediation of Eastern buyers.
BETTER AFTER DEC. l..
''After Dec. /, said the representative of
one of the largest houses engaged in the
coal business in New York, and which is the
agent for several of the principal coal COM
panies, there will be plenty of coal for i'm
mediate consumption. Lake shipments will
cease about the third or fourth week in No
vember, and those for Eastern points about
the same time. In fact, shipments for all
places where navigation closes early will
stop then. Points on the Hudson and Con
necticut rivers are included in the category.
THE present difficulty is in getting those
places supplied with coal before the cold
weather sets in, and in taking care of the
dealers here and in other of the principal
seaboard cities, None of the New York
dealers have much of a stock on hand, and
they are getting frightened. They have
been piling up their orders at terrific rate,
and we have had all we could do to reas-
sure them and give them a little of the coal
they want. In fact, we won't take orders
now from any one, and haven't since Sept.
/. We are merely supplying back orders.
But there is no danger of a coal famine.
There will be a stringency for the balance
of this month, but as soon as the pressure
for coal in the lake and far Eastern points
is relieved, even if the Lehigh miners CON
tinue to stay ont, we will be able to supply
the demand.
'There is another thing" continued the
HcrdIds informant "Freights have ad-
vanced from Zoe to 45c. per ton TO many
places, and this is rather hard on the re
tailels. Even now spot coal to retailers
averages s. to So so per ton in this city.
LITTLE COAL 10 BE HAD NOW
"There is very little coal to be had and it
takes twenty-five days usually to load car
goes. / wouldn't know where TO send man
for a cargo If he came to me to-day. The
whole trouble is as | told YOU There are
insufficient transportation facilities, and it
is the retail dealers in coal who are the prin-
ciPal sufferers"
Other representatives of coal firms made
similar statements to the reporter, and they
were confirmed at the offices Of the various
railway companies.
At the I,ehigh Valley Office it was stated
that that they were not shipping any coal at
present. and that as their usual output was
3,000,0 600 tons year, it made a heap of
difference whether the road was supplying
its usual customers or not. When the road
was compelled to remain idle, as at present,
in this matter OF the shipment of coal bur-
den was thrown upon the other coal trans
portation companies which they were I'M
oh IN hoar HIof. ha go. r.,
present scarcity of coal in the Eastern mar
kets.
EVENTS IN CHARLESTON.